Loading…
8
Unpopular opinion: I stopped speed-taping safety wire and my inspector actually smiled
I used to twist safety wire with pliers and go fast because that's what the older guys at my shop in Tulsa showed me. Last month I started using the double twist method by hand on a fuel pump job, took me about 20 extra minutes, and the inspector looked at it twice and just nodded. I always figured fast was what mattered, but turns out neat twists that don't nick the holes hold up way better. Anyone else get grief from the crew for slowing down on stuff like this?
1 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In1 Comment
rose_cooper18d ago
Did you ever read that FAA safety wire guide they put out a few years back? I came across it when I was trying to settle an argument with a guy at my hangar and it basically said what you found out, that even spacing and no nicks matters way more than how fast you get it done. The whole point is the wire has to hold tension without cutting into the bolt head, and if you rush it you get kinks and stretched spots that look fine until they don't. Old timers learned fast because they were getting paid by the job, but fast and right aren't the same thing. Honestly if your inspector smiled, that's about as good as it gets in this line of work. Did the crew ever come around once they saw your work held up?
4